New Year, New (Brick) Face

The final layer of the exterior of the building is now being installed on Building D (Dining Commons)! The new brick face layer was chosen to mimic the style of the original building. Significant progress is also being made on the interior finishes. Starting in Building D and continuing through Buildings E, F, G, and H, sheetrock is being installed followed by taping, priming, and painting. Click here to see the new January photo gallery!

At Wednesday’s SBC meeting, the project team presented a progress update and the current status of the project budget. The presentation can be found here. One of the topics was an update about furniture, fixtures, & equipment, affectionately known as FF&E.

• As was discussed last year at this time, the original budget for FF&E was $2.1M. When the construction bids came in over budget, $1.5M was taken out of the FF&E budget to help close the gap. At last June’s Town Meeting, the town voted to increase the remaining FF&E budget by ~$200K.
• With the Middle School opening this fall and the Primary School scheduled to open in Fall 2022, the administrative team is taking a detailed look at what what can be purchased with the existing FF&E budget, what additional FF&E is required for the opening of Middle School, and what can be delayed until there is further funding available.
• In preparation for this year’s Annual Town Meeting (MOVED TO SATURDAY, MAY 15th!), the SBC and the School Committee will begin conversations with the Capital Planning Committee and the Finance Committee about FF&E funding.